Resilient wheel.



Patented Apr. 14:, 1914.

I-IVI E/VTOH 25556 72 Z GOD/{5% WITNESSES By f WW ATTORNEYS A. T. GOOKINV RESIL IENT WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED 001?. 26, 1911.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

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To all whom it mag concern:

ALBE T 'rnnrn'rnm Go'okm, OECATMBB'IDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

nnsinmur WHEEL.

Application filed-October 23,1911. serial mi 666,818. j

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. GOOKIN, a

citiien of the United States, and a resident invention is to of- Cambridge, the county of Middl'esex and State of Massachusetts,- haveinvented. a

new and Improved Resilient Wheel, of, which the following is a full, clear, andfexact description.

.- My invention V of this class.

1 ()ther objects and advantagesofthe in r 7 thereof proceeds.

a number of resilient spokes therebetween whereby when the wheelxrolls over the groundthe resiliency ofthe' wheel-will take up the shocks due to unevenness in. the road.

vention will appear as the description eference is to be'had'to the accompanying'drawings, forming apart of this specification, 'in which similar characters ofire'it erence denote corresponding'parts in all th i nd in -wh ich-1 I Figure. 1 isa. side viewof improved" wheel; Fig. 2' is aivertical-sectional view of a fragment'thereofiFig. 3 is a vertical "sectional View at right angles to the sect-ion. of.

' Fig.2; Fig. 4 is a side'vi'ew of the middle plate-and one of the face plates in juxtaposed relation; I ig. 5 is asectional view on the line 55 of Fig, 2;Fig. 6' isa sectional view through two of the spoke shanks ad-j jacent the hub, Fig. 7 v is a sectional view on theline' 7-"7 tv Fig. 2; Fig.8 is aperspec:

- tive. viewof oneof the fixed plates adjacent opposite ends of each spoke and which is,

40 adapted to hold an oil cup; Fig. 9 is a plan? view of one otthe'dust guards positioned adj acent opposite'ends of each spoke and show-' 7 ing a shank'passing herethrough; FigllO is a perspective View of one of the removable, sections removed in. order to show. thefcon struction thereof.

The wheel comprises a cent ral hub desig-' nated as a whole by 1, together jwith'a rim- '2 and a'plurality of-tel'escoping resilient spokes 3, all of the'parts being-held to-- gether icy-suitable means tobe presently de number of plates ordisks-securely,

scribed in detail. The hub is made up of aplurallty of parts comprisinga centralbearing portion for e'ngagement wlth an axle, together with a vet-rep involves-a new form of silient wheel and theprincipal object of my provide an improved device Specification of Lettets rgtent; Patented Ap 1%" m 1% -movahly, held thereon. As"shown partice rly in Fig. 3 the hub comprises a middle late l having face plates '5jonoppcsite shim thereof, each of the face plates being-of a diameter equal to that of the middle plate; on opposite sides of the face lates5 are the outer-plates. 6, one tr whic is preferably for'rned'integral with the central cylindrical member 7, the-other outer plate being provided with a central,opening'through which thismember 7 passes, all of the parts being V g firmly secured in position by any suitable A further ob ect'of the invention 1s to prov1de-a wheel made upofa hub and rim with.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4 it is to be noted that the middle plate lis provided with apl'ur'alityof radial'pockets 10 equally spaced from each other and of peculiar conformatlon, each pocket being adapted to receive the spoke head and shank of each of i the spokes when the parts are in assembled position, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The middle section may be conveniently made up of a plate having a plurality of notchesll around its periphery, together with 'a number. of removable sections 12 hav- .ing' a'reduced inner end 13, this inner end being adapted to'lie adjacent the portions of-the plate proper between the notches 11 I in. order to form circular pockets;'a ll of the sections 12 are equally spaced apart andare securedqin' position between the face plates 5 by any suitable means,- such as bolts and nuts 14;. In Fig. 10 I have set forth; one of these. removable sections in perspective, it being shown provided with openings 15) for the passage of the bolts. and a longitudi- -na1ly extending channel 16 having divergent inner ends 17 communicating with the inner endsof adjacent pockets 10. V

Each of the's'pokes is intended to be telescopicin operation a-ndto this end I have shown them made up in two sections, each section comprising a cylindrical spoke head 18 connected to the spoke end 19 through the medium of a Suitable shank 20. Each ofthespoke ends 19 offers asuitablesupport .for a plurality of concentric tubes 21,- the outer ends of the tubes of one section of the spokebeing' adapted to enter between tubes of the other section of the spoke whereby the spoke may be lengthened or. shortened by as 1n F1g.'9; each dust other. Positioned between the tubes 21 are a plurality of helical springs 22, the outer ends f those in one of the sections being,

adapted to engage the outerends ofthe tubes entering that section, all of whichis shown particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Each spoke head 18'and shank 20 is positioned in one of the pockets-10,'shown 'in Fig, 4 and when all of the spokes have been thus positioned the second face plate may be brought adjacent the middle plate and the parts secured together. I In drder to provide for proper lubricaon of the inner ends of the spoke heads shanks I position an oil on 23 in the uter end of each of the channe s 16 in the emovable sections 12 shown particularly in Fig. 2, the oili from each cup finding its way down the" channel and through the div,ergingl ends .17 thereof, where it comes in contact with the moving parts.

' In order to prevent the entrance of 'dust nd foreign matter into the pockets 10 wherein the spoke headsare positioned I provide dust "guards 24, shown particularly guard is preferably made upof a body portion 25 having a central opening 26 therein adapted to' fit around the shanks 20, the opposite ends of the body portion being provided with recesses 27, the recesses of adjacent guards being adapted to receive one of the oil cups 23, as shown particularly in Fig. 6. These recesses 27 on adjacent dust guards, byv registration with each other, permit relative hovement of the parts or sliding of these plates when the wheel is in operation, there bein a second fixed plate 28, shown particular y in Fig. 8, this plate beingprovided with a central opening. 29 through which theoil cup 23 passes, the corners of the plate being provided with lugs 30, adapted to be bent around the dust guards 24 in order to keep these parts in position with respect to one another.

'Ihebuter end of each of the spokes is retained in engagement with the rim by retaining means somewhat similar to those carried by the hub, whereby the inner ends of these spokes are retained in position. Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the rim is made up of a tire 31 and the rim proper 32, these parts being held together in any suitable manner, as by means of threaded bolts 33. The retaining means comprises a middle plate 34 having apocket 35 therein in which-the cylindrical outer spoke head 18 and shank 20 are positioned, the pocket being formed by means of suitable sections 36 secured to the face plates 37 through any suitable -means, such as bolts 38-; the face plates being secured to the middle plate 34 preferably by bolts 39, the middle plate in turn-being secured'to the rim proper 32 by. means of bolts 40. The

outer end of thejspoke is :thus securely held in position, the inner end of the. pocket 35 being shaped to the cylindrical end of the spoke and-the fdivergmg-sides of the outer end ofjithe pocket permitting movement of the spoke enrl'- :;within the pocket, in the plane in which ifthe spoke lies. The thickness of the "middle plate 4 is subst ntially that of the shank, thereby prev nting lateral movement of the spokes. E ch of the sections 36 is provided with a suitable boreor' channel 41, see Fig. 2, there being an oil cup 23" secured in the outer end of the channel whereby lubrication of the spoke'head inthe pocket is assured in order to prevent the entrance ofdust and foreign matter into the pocket 35 I provide dust plates 24' adjacent 'each section 36, these plate'sbeing similar in construction to thedust plates 24 previously described, there being also a fixed plate similar to that shown in Fig. 8 already described. 'After the spokes have been positionedin the hub and secured therein, the outer ends'of the spokes may be secured with respect to the middle plate 34 after which the tire 32 may be ad-' justed at the outer ends of the spokes and bolted in position thereon.

In the use of the wheel the difierent 'por-- tions of the tire move relatively to the hub through the compression of the springs 22 contained within the hpoke whereby the shock, due to-unevenness of the road, is taken u by the spokes, the relative movement 0 the spokes to the hub and the rim being permitted by reason of thev helical pocket construction, this construction also securing the spoke ends in position. If the tire or rim directly under a spoke comes into contact with a projecting portion of the road the spoke will be compressed an amount depending on the force of the shock, the

tire coming back to original position after the obstruction has been passed over; should that portion ofthe tire which lies betweensucceeding spokes be subjected to shock, the

rim, by reason of its flexibility, will be deformed a certain amount, this deformation causing a limited movement of the spokes toward each other, the construction of the pockets in the'hub and the rim permitting this movement The construction and arrangement ofthe parts is such that should any spoke become damaged from accident or wear, it may be easily removed and a new one placed in position; the tire proper 31. may be'of metal or rubber or any other suitable substance adapted to the purpose,

the construction of the-wheel itself forming a a very efiicient adjacent adjunct to a resili-- ent tire.

The wheel may be made of different diam eters adapting it for use on different vehicles, and the material of which the" different' parts is; made may be chosen with a j.

' and forming with view to rendering the wheel stronger or more efficient, such changes being largely matters of choice and Having thus described my invention, I.

claim as-new, ters Patent A Wheel comprising a hub made up of a number of plates secured together and including a middle plate and face plates on opposite sides of the middle plate, the mid dle plate comprising abody plate less diameter than the face-plates and having a plurality of notches around its periphery, and a plurality of removable outer sections arranged between theface plates and having reduced inner ends adapted to engage the portions of -the middle or body plate between the notches, the removable sections being spaced apart the body of the plate raand desire to secure by Letdial pockets, the inner ends of said pockets being circular and the outer ends of said pockets having diverging sides, a rim, a plurality of resilient spokes secured at one end to the rim, the other end of each spoke comprising a head and a shank, the head being of greater diameter than the shank and ro tatably engaged in the inner circular portion of one of said pockets of the hub, and means for rigidly securing the removable sections to the face plates', whereby the heads are held in position in the said pockets and movement of the spokes relatively to the hub is permitted when the Wheel is in use.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT TREFETHEN GOOKIN.

Witnesses a ALBERT F. AMEE, JOHN AMEE. 

